Wardrobe Essentials - another try - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

About: Wardrobe Essentials, 2018

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Wardrobe Essentials - another try

Helena

Veteran

Hi all, based on Angie's post, I am having another try at defining my wardrobe essentials ... here is the list as I made it a few weeks ago, with comments. Overall, I think I was making two mistakes in thinking about essentials:

I think I had included too many things, and things that for me are more statement or finishing pieces, rather than essentials (I think I confused because for me these pieces are so simple, like a navy blazer - but they are not essential to every day dressing, nor would my wardrobe fall apart with out them)
Because we have so many seasons (as Elizabeth P said elsewhere, really we have about 6 distinct weather seasons), it's tricky to define 'essentials' for very weather-impacted items like jackets or shoes. How do multi-season folks manage these - have an essential for each season? Or do these become too specific to be true essentials?

From my last list, these I think are true essentials:

fine-knit, body-skimming sweaters in variety of neutrals and shades
fluid tees (summer)
dark-wash skinny jeans
white jeans/shorts
stud earrings (crystal or pearl)
striped tops
cotton-jersey sundresses (summer)

These are items I had initially has as essentials because I love to have in my closet, but they are not true essentials because they are not cornerstones of my wardrobe:

navy blazer
black slim trousers
a jean jacket
a neutral medium-sized tote bag
a black clutch
a gray Roots hoodie

These are items the requirements for which change significantly depending on the weather, and some might be absolutely 'essential', but only for only a month or two:

neutral, walkable flats, including ballets flats, canvas sneakers, white Birkenstocks, winter boots, rain boots
nude wedges
neutral booties with a heel
other necessary weather-related gear: lighter-weight beanie, toque, light and heavy weight gloves and mitts, lighter and heavier weight scarves, rain gear, puffer, wool coats of different lengths

Looking forward to reading and hearing about everyone else's essentials!

H. x

Dressing

17 replies

Latest reply was from jussie

Aurore

Veteran

Your thoughts on true essentials and maybe essentials is very instructive and thought-provoking.
Among your list I would tend to classify weather-related equipment (rain boots, beanies, rain gear...) as basics rather than essentials. But I'm also looking forward to other commenter's ideas on this, as I'm not really confident in my ability to fully grasp these concepts!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I think you can have an essential for each season. What you need for high summer might be quite different than what you need in deep winter.

However... it might not be. If it's a seasonal version of the same thing, then you might have it across all seasons. I've noticed Angie includes multiple seasons in a category, for example in her "white footwear" category, she has both booties and sandals.

I've always struggled with this concept because of our seasonality, and the essential list grows and grows, but I think something sunk in with this latest blog post. Maybe for me it's "black top", than is then long sleeved in winter, a tee for spring and fall, and a tank top in summer.

In your lists, you tend to have categories, which Angie cautions against. Are ALL your summer tees essentials? Or do you have a couple of colours (prob neutrals) that you NEED, and the rest are more "nice to have's"?

And I think some coats are essentials, some are statements. Same with boots.

LaPed

Veteran

I find identifying essentials really, really tricky. I have a wardrobe full of one-offs, and it seems to work for me. There is probably a common thread between my seemingly random items, I just have a hard time seeing it.

From what I've seen, you have a uniform approach to dressing, and your go-to's are reflected in your Essentials list here.

Weather-related gear and equipment is hard. I just have to consider it separately from other wardrobe categories, because, to my eye, Gore-Tex jackets and down puffers are essential in a literal way (keeps you dry, keeps you warm) in a way that jeans/tees/etc are not. Hmm.

Helena

Veteran

Aurore, that makes sense - if an item is a necessary evil (e.g. heavy mitts), I think basic makes more sense than essential too.

Elizabeth, good point - I supposed it would be semi-fluid v-neck tees in neutrals and nearly neutrals - they are basically the hot-weather counterpart to my fine knits!

LaPed, thanks for the feedback! Perhaps your essential:statement ration is different to mine - mine's probably 90:10; maybe yours is the other way round!

rachylou

Veteran

‘Cornerstones’ is a good good word...

Joy

Veteran

I agree with what Elizabeth wrote. I try to create columns of neutrals for each season. I consider many of those components essentials. The fabrics and shapes may vary but the basic use is the same.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

My essentials,as I see them, are season specific and tend to change somewhat year to year. I often like to start dressing with a statement piece I want to try to wear - the essentials are what I use to make it work for me and make it me.
So crazy pants need the essential booties to balance them.
Crazy blazer need the essential jeans.
Crazy shoes need the essential jeans but the top can go a lot of ways (non-essential).
Everything needs a hat and hoops.
Next year everything will still most likely still need a hat but maybe I will switch to posts and pendants as my look and they will become my essentials.
This is just my take of course!

Helena

Veteran

Joy, a foolproof strategy!
Shevia, what you say makes perfect sense. I don't think I have much in the way of statement pieces, which is why I get mixed up ... Or perhaps my statement pieces are on the lower end of the statement scale? Is there a level between essential and statement that I am missing??

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

GOOD JOB. My essentials are seasonal too. By all means separate them.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Looks like you got a gold star !well done ,I can copy you now,phew!

Lynn

Veteran

Toronto Girl- I had not thought about weather related essentials. I will have to keep that in mind. I am still a novice in identifying true essentials. You posts have helped.

unfrumped

Veteran

Good work - and it IS harder or more confusing sometimes than it would seem! I found it so.
To get more specific but not too item- specific, one item for me was” curved hem tops” ( like shirttail, but finished enough of cut just differently enough to look intentional untucked. These are because I want some hip coverage with pants but a kind of line I want rather than some straight hens ( which I still also wear, but try not to overstock).

Gaylene

Veteran

Not sure if my thinking will be useful, but the light went on when I tried to work from Angie’s definitions of the terms instead of imposing my own understanding and usage.

It occurred to me that Angie’s experience as a buyer leads to her defining “basic” as a fundamental core instead of the word’s more common meaning as something that is vital or necessary. Knickers, bras, hosiery, camis, sleep/lounge wear, etc are fundamental cores to everyday dressing, regardless of season or individual style. Using T-shirts as a category, the men’s cotton t-shirt I wear as sleep top obviously falls into Angie’s definition of a “basic”.

Angie’s definition of “essentials” represent the next step upwards because they are visible pieces I need to create outfits which fit my style of dressing. Using the T-shirt category, my personal style requires a neutral t-shirt—long-sleeved and dark in the winter, and short-sleeved in grey or white in the summer. Unlike my sleep T’s, my visible “essential” T-shirts need to be an excellent fit and fabric because they are part of my public dress. I take good care of these T-shirts because I like them to stay in pristine condition for as long as possible and because replacing can be a chore since I’m so fussy about fit, style, and fabric.

My “in between” T-shirts are a mixed bag of T-shirts I use for interest and variety. They are useful, but not essential in the way my neutral T-shirts are to my style of dress. If something happens to one of these T’s, it’s not hard to find an update or replacement since I’m not usually looking for an exact replacement. The number of T’s in this category also changes— in some years or seasons I have a considerable stack, while in other years I might have just 1 or 2.

My “statement” T’s are ones which take centre stage in an outfit. I adore the mixed material, fringed sleeved T-shirt I bought in Paris and the oversized, drapey Eileen Fisher T-shirt with the tight sleeves and asymmetrical hemline. I’ve had my Vivienne Westwood-inspired graphic T-shirt for over a decade and still love wearing it. All of these signature T-shirts are cared for differently than my “in between” T’s because each one of my “signature” T’s is irreplaceable—an expression of “me” in a way that becomes a very important part of my personal style.

Helena

Veteran

Gaylene, very helpful. Major lightbulb moment with your comment "I'm not usually looking for an exact replacement".

If I think though my essential lists, these are the pieces that I wear until they're worn out, then the hunt is on for a replacement (if not exact, then a slightly updated or different version of exact).

My 'non-statement' non-essentials, even though they might be simple and 'basic' by some definitions, I buy them, I enjoy, but when they are done, I move on. (I suppose if I decided to replace exactly, that would be the time to decide whether it had become a new essential).

That's a very helpful litmus test! Thank you!

nomadicliz

Torontogirl, it's been super useful seeing you list and then work through your list of essentials, and you've gotten really helpful feedback!
I like your definition of an essential as something that needs to be replaced to fill a wardrobe hole when you wear it out.

Helena

Veteran

Nomadicliz, I don't know that it's a perfect definition, as I think in some cases it could apply to statement piece also - but it does help draw a boundary between essential and nice-to-have pieces. Glad this process is helpful! It's seem like more simple a concept than it it, doesn't it? But super-helpful to sort out.

jussie

Veteran

I also am thrown by our four + season climate. I’m trying to get more savvy with layering to make things easier.
The trouble for me with identifying essentials is, because they’re rather boring, I will wear each piece for as long as possible, and once it literally falls apart the fashion has usually changed! So I then feel I need to change my essentials... nothing has been an essential for me for more than say... 2 full years... except perhaps a black cardi, I have had one at all times since my teens I believe...